This invention relates generally to devices for use in feeding patients intravenously or for analogous purposes such as blood transfusions, and more particularly to improvements in holders for intravenous apparatus.
In the use of an intravenous needle which is attached to the end of a flexible tubing in giving intravenous medication, blood plasma, anesthesia, and the like, the tubing which has some weight, tends to displace the needle and interferes with the proper operation of the apparatus.
Heretofore, the intravenous feeding of patients and the like required that the needle, flow tube and coupling be attached to the patient by adhesive tape to prevent it from decoupling, twisting and/or pulling out of the vein. This has been the conventional practice for a number of years. However, this practice is often unsatisfactory from a patient discomfort point of view and from a functional point of view.
Adhesive tape is difficult to remove from the patient without causing discomfort. The use of adhesive tape results in the pressure application of the base of the needle and tube coupling into the flesh of the patient which not only may prove uncomfortable, but in some cases the flesh may become bruised. When the adhesive tape is removed, arm hair may also be inadvertently removed. Use of adhesive tape over a lengthy period of time will cause tissue breakdown and other injuries to the soft tissues of the arm such as to the nerve network and various vessels in the skin. The use of adhesive tape may also lead to functional problems, i.e., inexperienced taping or gradual loosening of the tape due to patient movement and/or sweating may cause the tape to lose its grip and fail in its function to maintain the needle, flow tube and coupling suitably abchored. It is also difficult to apply adhesive tape to a patient in a moving vehicle, i.e., an ambulance. Adhesive taping also takes time, i.e., in the range of 2 to 3 minutes. In an emergency, this may be too long a time.
The prior art includes various patents which attempt to stabilize intravenous apparatus. The approaches taken have been either very complicated requiring new intravenous apparatus designs, or have used simple clips to frictionally hold the tubing in place. The latter types have generally ignored the effects of patient movement on the needle section of the intravenous apparatus, and none address the problem of decoupling between needle and tubing. None of the prior art systems take into account the uniqueness of newer intravenous apparatus, such as the angio catheter systems presently in use. Angio catheter systems have a plastic over-needle tube inserted into the vein with attached hub to attach intravenous tubing. The prior art systems are difficult to use with these newer systems.